Sustenance #4—Sustained Rescue

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and deliver me to his heavenly kingdom; to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18

At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul knew he could trust Jesus to keep him going, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When friends deserted him, when the government bullied him, when opponents contradicted him, he was confident that as long as he had a fruitful ministry ahead of him, the Lord would exert himself on his behalf so Paul could continue to do his work. Christ’s grace was sufficient for him physically and would remain so spiritually. Because he could count on the Lord’s sustaining intervention, Paul felt confident to follow the Lord’s direction. So can we. We can have the same confidence Paul experienced concerning his ability to be true to Jesus. Every obstacle we encounter and every disappointment we experience tries to convince us that Jesus won’t care for those who have put their lives in his hands, that he won’t strengthen our resolve to trust him forever. But every difficulty we surmount by his grace renews our confidence in the One who “turns the king’s heart in his hands.” We have the same examples as Paul. The Lord rescued and sustained Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, and Peter. As he removes the things that hinder us from accomplishing the mission he’s given us, we understand better and better how committed he is to accomplishing his own mission: not to lose any of those whom the Father gave him.

How thankful I am, O God, that neither life nor death can separate me from your love that is displayed in Christ Jesus, especially as he works for me every day.